Friday, June 27, 2008
Horsley, R. (2002). Jesus and Empire: The Kingdom of God and the New World Disorder.
In that imperial world, however, there was already a divine Saviour and Lord who had bought 'peace and salvation' to humankind and was worshiped with feasts and hymns by those who 'had faith' in him. So what were Paul and other apostles doing when they applied each terms to Jesus Christ and teh 'faith' relationship of believers with their 'saviour' and 'lord'? 12
The series of episodes in which Jesus exorcises demons and the discussions of the sigificance of Jesus' exorcisms in the Gospels indicate that precisely in his practice of excorsism God's kingdom is defeating Roman rule. 99
Warfare with Satan - was one of the principal ways that Galilean peasants as well as Qumran scribes had of explaining how they could be suffering such subjection and even violent oppression, when supposedly God was the ruler of history. Opposing forced of overwhelming superhuman strength must be responsible. 101
The exorcism stories declare that precisely in Jesus' exorcisms God is accomplishing a political as well as a religious or spiritual victory. 102
Possession by 'unclean spirits' was part of teh more general social spiritual condition of being constantly under attack or even control by a superhuman destructive force, Satan, the 'prince of demons' who was engaged in a sustained struggle with God for control of society and history. Tis explanation of their situation enabled Galileans and Judeans to avoid blaming themselves 107
In the Roman imperial world, the 'gospel' was the good news of Caesar's having established peace and security for the world. Caesar was the 'saviour' who had bought 'salvation' to the whole world. The peoples of the empire were therefore to have 'faith' in their 'lord' the emperor. Moreover, Caesar the lord and saviour was to be honoured and celebrated by the 'assemblies' (ekklesia) .... by applying this key imperial language to Jesus Christ , Paul was making him into the alternative or real emperor of the world 134
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The series of episodes in which Jesus exorcises demons and the discussions of the sigificance of Jesus' exorcisms in the Gospels indicate that precisely in his practice of excorsism God's kingdom is defeating Roman rule. 99
Warfare with Satan - was one of the principal ways that Galilean peasants as well as Qumran scribes had of explaining how they could be suffering such subjection and even violent oppression, when supposedly God was the ruler of history. Opposing forced of overwhelming superhuman strength must be responsible. 101
The exorcism stories declare that precisely in Jesus' exorcisms God is accomplishing a political as well as a religious or spiritual victory. 102
Possession by 'unclean spirits' was part of teh more general social spiritual condition of being constantly under attack or even control by a superhuman destructive force, Satan, the 'prince of demons' who was engaged in a sustained struggle with God for control of society and history. Tis explanation of their situation enabled Galileans and Judeans to avoid blaming themselves 107
In the Roman imperial world, the 'gospel' was the good news of Caesar's having established peace and security for the world. Caesar was the 'saviour' who had bought 'salvation' to the whole world. The peoples of the empire were therefore to have 'faith' in their 'lord' the emperor. Moreover, Caesar the lord and saviour was to be honoured and celebrated by the 'assemblies' (ekklesia) .... by applying this key imperial language to Jesus Christ , Paul was making him into the alternative or real emperor of the world 134
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